THRISSUR: The day one of the State School Youth Festival on Saturday was marked by delays on stages by over an hour while on the stage to conduct Oppana, the events delayed by two hours as the venue of Holy Family HSS was not ready yet. Contestants said that Oppana should have been conducted at one of the main stages which could accommodate adequate spectators.
The delay in the case of Kathaprasangam prompted some of the participants to literally practise behind the stage bringing all their articles like table, cymbal and harmonium and loud strikes on the cymbals behind the stage turned out to be a weird spectacle ahead of the actual conduct of the event.
The Sahitya Akademi stage was the venue for the folk song competition where traditional instruments brought the old rhythms accompanying nostalgic rhymes. Hosts Thrissur had a place when the first results were declared. Mannuthy Don Bosco HSS student Joseph George and Kodungallur GGHSS student Almas Shirin secured the top A grade in the Higher Secondary clarinet competition.
A 102 strong contingent is participating from the Kondotty Kottookkara PPM Higher Secondary School in the youth festival and most of them are participating in the Mappila arts in different sections and they say there are here to hold high the name of the doyen of Mappila arts Moyinkutty Vaidyar who hailed from there.
A cultural festival is taking place simultaneously at one of the three main venues at Thekkinkad maidan. The venues did not witness heavy crowd till evening but by evening people of Thrissur streamed into make it a popular event.
